Kawhi Leonard wanted to play in his homestate of California after being in Texas (San Antonio Spurs for 7 years) just to be near with her gf/wife and child. Since there are three teams in California, namely Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the California Warriors (aka GSW), he wanted to play in one of them.

Four, Sacramento Kings being the 4th Cali team.

Correct.

Author:

simimik [ Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:45 am ]

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Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

With the win of Lowry this second Raptor's game, though it's tooooo early to say, but it's getting clearer that Raptors v. Celtics will fight in the EAST Finals. Am I wrong?

Please correct me if it is.

Or should it be Celtics v. Philadelphia?

Author:

bigatooth [ Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:21 pm ]

Post subject:

Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

simimik wrote:

With the win of Lowry this second Raptor's game, though it's tooooo early to say, but it's getting clearer that Raptors v. Celtics will fight in the EAST Finals. Am I wrong?

Please correct me if it is.

Or should it be Celtics v. Philadelphia?

this should be barneys vs green tears

sixers were too young for now

Author:

mauragon [ Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:50 am ]

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Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

if leonard stays healthy, toronto might snatch the east championship from boston.

Author:

simimik [ Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:03 pm ]

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Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

mauragon wrote:

if leonard stays healthy, toronto might snatch the east championship from boston.

I agree with that.

Though I am seeing this season to be between Warriors v. Celtics. if Kawhi stays healthy this season, I could not wait to see the continuation of the Game 1 of the 2015-2016 NBA WEST Finals b/w Spurs vs. Warriors when Kawhi carried SA to rack up 23 points over the great GSW team (the game he got injured). Instead of Spurs vs. GSW, it is now GSW v. Raptors. And it is not a far from the possibility.

As Nuggets the first team that could beat the champion Warriors, but eventually handed its first lost to Lakers yesterday, it shows that they are a round-robin tie. Or did Nuggets just lose because Isaiah Thomas was absent?

Whatever reason it might be it will no longer help. A win is a win.

A win for Lebron against Nuggets is great. And a champion performance of Durant against Knicks is interesting.

But what's more interesting (question) is when will the first loss of Raptors be and to whose team? Will it be in the hands of the same undefeated Bucks (on Oct30), or to the gutsy Philly (on31st), to Lakers (on Nov5), to both still undefeated Pelicans (13th) & Pistons(15th), or in the hands of champion GSW on Nov.30?

I believe it's sooner than the last team. Because if Raptors could survive until the last team (mentioned above) they would have a record of 22-0 streak.

Author:

simimik [ Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:23 pm ]

Post subject:

Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

With the win against Jazz, Raptors has finished the first 1/8 of the 2018 season (given there are 83games) at 10-1. The most wins shared with GSW.

It is continuing to be clearer that GSW and Celtics are the only threats for Raptors.

However, there are still 3 teams lingering that are great to be considered as contenders given the depths of their line-ups. They are the Rockets, the Nuggets, and of course, the Bucks!

If Kawhi would become a part of Lakers next season (but I don't want it because Kawhi-Lebron tandem is unbeatable even by GSW!!), I will become a good supporter of Lakers.

Please don't get me wrong, I still maintain my argument with my previous post in this thread that (though Kawhi-Lebron tandem is unbeatable in the league), Lebron-Ball-Kuzma-Rondo-Stephenson (my idol in Pacers) tandems, since there is no good passer like Lowry in Lakers right now, are doomed to lose.

We will see in the next 10 games if the landscape will change.

By the way, I'm not against any team I'm just seeing the teams as what they become and also the effect of the Kawhi sweepstakes in the NBA.

20 WINS 4 LOSSESGive or take 2 games beyond the First Quarter of the Season

Toronto Raptors has already showed vulnerabilities against the teams of Bucks, Pelicans, Pistons, and Celtics. Which are very good contenders in the Finals!

Before, at the beginning of this thread in October, I believed that GSW, ROCKETS, CELTICS and RAPTORS would be the last four teams.

Now, with their performance I will drop Rockets as a contender. It has serious internal problems. It might be between their key players.

What I see now is that there are ONLY two teams that I am afraid for my idol Kawhi's team.They are the Warriors and the Celtics!

Some will ask why not Lakers and Bucks?

The simple answer is the combination of history, trend, and players.

I still believe Lebron can win against any team as long as he has a good passer. That is, I do not believe that having a good center teammate can help him make Lakers a champion in the West. Though Chandler can help make the Lakers in the West Finals. What made Lebron won all the 3 Championships were because of a bulldozer-type player. When Finals comes when he needs a clutch point I am sure he will revert to being a bulldozer-type (because you cannot teach old dog new tricks) and that is where he will have a problem because he has no veteran/great passers like what he had in Heat and Cavs.

I can also state that with the 3-season clashes b/w GSW v. LEBRON it was 2-1, but I will not. I still believe that James is the best in the NBA and can make it happen--but let us see.

Next, for the Greek Freak! He is a great player, however, the best I can see him is in the level of Davis. Until Bucks defeats Raptors in the East Championship I will not change my perspective to him.

Next, for GSW it is still the team to beat! No matter how many losses they acquire unless they are not ultimately beaten they are the fiercest team for me for Raptors. Currently, it is 90% winnable for GSW against Raptors if they play in the Finals.

And the last, this is special.The only question here is CHEMISTRY!!If Gordon, the amazing Tatum, the confident Brown, and of course Irviiiiiing finds their chemistry, any team will succumb to them, including my team Raptors an GSW. The winning percentage right now for Celtics to win versus Raptors in the East Championship is 51%. It will drastically become 100% when they find the chemistry. HOWEVER, except the next paragraph.

Given all the information above, there is only one thing I keep on watching when Kawhi plays. It is his 3PT.%. Currently it is @33. If it just up to 7 points, that is, @40, RAPTORS will have its First Ever championship. Right now, I see Kawhi at 80%healthy. The 7% difference spells 100.

For the end, which question will be answered. Is it now the time of the Greek Freak? Or still the era of the great Lebron? Or of the 3PEAT? Or of the North?

Only time will tell...

Author:

simimik [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 4:29 am ]

Post subject:

Re: KAWHI IN RAPTORS

Durant is giving a hint to Kawhi for them to just unite in Toronto (next season) than for Kawhi to become an assistant to Lebron in Lakers.

For me, it is okay wherever and whoever Kawhi chooses. Because whoever superstar he will join I believe that he could be a champion again.

If it is with Lebron in Lakers it's good. And I would become a fan of Lakers.

But if with Durant in Raptors (or Clippers), it is better. If that's the case, I will stick with Raptors or go with Clippers next year.

By the way, I would definitely choose the latter.

Because...KAWHI+DURANT+VALANCIUNAS+GREEN+LOWRY is so coooooool...

The above statements are just my interpretation of the comment of Durant on the link below.